Wednesday – (Preparing for the Lord’s Supper)
We trust that you will find these devotions helpful on your spiritual walk with Christ. Please meditate on the Scripture passages, understand the story in context, then reflect on how this story relates to your life today. May God bless you this Easter season.
SCRIPTURE: Read Luke 22:7-13
SUMMARY: Jesus sends Peter and John into Jerusalem, telling them that they will find a man carrying a jar of water. They are to follow him to a house, and once there, they should speak to the owner, saying that the Teacher needs a room to eat the Passover meal with his disciples. The disciples follow Jesus’ instructions, find the man, and make preparations for the Passover meal in the designated room.
This passage sets the stage for the Last Supper, which Jesus shares with his disciples before his crucifixion on that Friday.
STORY: Go and prepare for the celebration. Preparation for worship is greater than just showing up (Luke 22:8).
SELF-EXAMINATION: How many times do we just show up at church on a Sunday morning with little or no thought about what we are about to experience? We are gathering in a corporate setting with other believers who come from different backgrounds, ethnicities, economic statuses, experiences, life stages, and affinities. We often show up because attendance is customary and familiar; perhaps not so much due to a sense of awe and devotion to the God of the universe and our resurrected Savior and Lord.
Just as Jesus told his disciples to prepare for the Passover meal, so what are a few things YOU do to prepare to enter God’s presence in worship on Sunday morning?
- Have you prayed prior to your arrival? For what have you prayed?
- Have you sought God before the service even begins? What do you seek from him?
- Have you invoked God’s presence, inviting him to show up in the service, as well as revealing himself in your heart, mind, and soul?
- Have you confessed all known sin? Have you agreed with God that even that “small sin” really matters to God?
- Have you counted your blessings, perhaps naming them one by one?
- Have you asked for forgiveness from God for your part in a broken relationship?
- Have you sought forgiveness from someone you recently or long ago hurt or offended?
This verse reveals a sobering fact, this Lord’s Supper gathering is more for WE than it is for ME (the ceremony is called “communion” for goodness sake. We commune together around sacrifice of Christ). Look again at what Jesus said, to prepare this meal “for US, that WE may eat it.” As we come to worship prepared, we must remember that we are preparing for two things: 1) for GOD to connect with his people and then 2) we are preparing OURSELVES to be in his presence. How can we ever imagine entering God’s presence so hurried and unprepared?
SOUL-SEARCHING: As Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us (in heaven, according to John 14:3), what have we done to prepare for his arrival in our worship experience?
- Do you pray for the music? That the words will speak into someone’s soul.
- Do you pray for the choir and praise team? That their message will reach someone with spiritual truth and bring glory to our Father.
- Do you pray for your pastor and staff? That they will be filled with the Holy Spirit, that they will lead well, and that God will protect their families, ministry, and reputation.
- Do you pray for all of our Sunday School teachers? For their preparation time, dependence upon the Holy Spirit, have insight into God’s Word, to connect with their students, and that they will bring light and urgency into the message from Christ we will learn today.
- Do you pray for children to understand how much Jesus loves them? Include their parents, our children’s workers and servants, and the whole church membership to love children as Christ loves them.
- Do you pray for open hearts and minds to receive Christ and follow him? People need to surrender to Jesus, so, let’s cultivate the soil, plant the seeds, and hopefully one day, reap the harvest. (Eternal CPR)
- Do you regularly confess known sin? Ask God to search your heart to find all the hurtful or harmful things within you (Psalm 139:23-24).
- Will you repent of that sin? God tells us, if you have repented, prove it with acts of obedience (Acts 26:20)
- Have you extended an invitation to friends to attend church with you? Or have you invited them into your home for table fellowship? (Remember that rhythm of life we call eating?)
- Have you prayed for the lost people you know? Seriously, writing down their names on your list.
- Do you pray that God would show up at church, in power, transforming our lives, and challenging us to a higher calling, which includes holiness and service?
On a side note, while you’re praying: Have you prayed for your city and national leaders? For them to demonstrate wisdom, leadership, kindness, fairness, justice, compassion, godliness, safety, and mercy where needed. For politicians, military members, medical personnel, teachers, fire and rescue, and law enforcement. May we be a society that reflects the character of Christ.
Let’s wrap up this lesson for today. Being a part of the church is so much more than just showing up on Sunday! We are interconnected as a spiritual community of faith, worshiping our Lord and Savior each week, learning and applying truth from his Word, and being prepared and equipped to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (Ephesians 4:1). May God be glorified and give us the strength and grace to walk in obedience.